Medina asks Congress more time to regularize immigrants

Santo Domingo.- President Danilo Medina on Wednesday submitted to Congress a bill to amend Law 169-14 which provides 90 more days for offspring of foreigners to legalize their immigration status in the Dominican Republic.

In a letter to Congress, Medina says since the initial period stipulated in the Law is set to expire in just days, barely 1,500 undocumented people have visited the offices to register, which in his view is a very low proportion of applicants.

The deadline for the mostly Haitian offspring to register is October 28, but the president’s decision comes on a wave of requests by various sectors to extend it. “We feel that the enforcement of the term, as established in Law 169-14, threatens the objectives thereof and confronts us with the paradox that despite the great efforts and resources invested to draft the law, it cannot be complied with in a reasonable manner.”

Medina adds that the situation could make the country face similar challenges in the future regarding the proper documentation of the population established by that legislation. “I appeal to Congress’ sensitivity and expect support for the initiative to comply with the spirit of the State’s justice as inspired by Law 169-14.”